Talk:Richard Grenville

Killing the "natives" for an allegedly stolen cup

I've inserted "killing the inhabitants" after the bit where Grenville "sacked and burned" an entire village, on the basis that the Roanoke Island article indicates he burned alive a weroance during what appears to be the same incident, and presumably he murdered a few more men, women and children while burning down their homes. Tuoreco 06:10, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

I have a question about the "stolen cup." I was at the park on Roanoke and a ranger said that the cup was handed to the native who believed it was given to him. It sounded more like a cultural conflict than a case of someone who went out of his way to steal a cup.

Last fight

The author of this article states the following during Grenville's last battle against the Spanish Fleet:

"For 12 hours his crew fought off the Spanish, causing heavy damage to fifteen galleons; ultimately, Grenville wished to blow up the ship, but the crew surrendered, and he died several days later of his wounds. Revenge along with 16 Spanish ships sank during a cyclone soon after."

The above statements sound very doubtful. How could the HMS Revenge have caused so much damage to the attacking Spanish warships with a sick and depleted crew. The rest of the English fleet cut and ran when faced by a superior Spanish fleet, thus leaving no Englishmen to validate that the HMS Revenge could have inflicted such damage. Moreover, if English galleons were that superior to their Spanish rivals, why did they not stay and defeat the Spanish? Its appears to be another case of English lore and imagination being turned into written history. --Scipio-62 (talk) 15:48, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I think that's the standard account - although no source is cited - and the English definitely gilded the lily. I've read a balanced account of the battle, in which two galleons grappled on to the Revenge on either side but couldn't board because the upper deck was like a killing zone through pistol and caliver shot. The English cannon kept firing in to the galleons at point blank range, which is how the damage was done. But heavy damage to 15 ships? Seems doubtful.--Shtove (talk) 14:13, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I heard that nonsense re-told on the History Channel as if it were fact. I just find it astounding that a lot of people actually believe this glorified fairy tale. For the record people, Tennyson's account is just a poem and not historical fact. The Royal Navy was on a privateering mission and not out to challenge the Spanish Navy. Fighting a strong enemy fleet where one will sustain losses will not fill the Queen's Ex Chequer with treasure. --Charles A 05:57, 7 March 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Scipio-62 (talk • contribs)

Copied pasted below is the official Royal Navy history site account of Richard Grenville's last battle on board his HMS Revenge(Renown). I still have some doubts about the RN's sources because the rest of the English battle fleet fled rather than face battle with the Spanish leaving only Spanish sources, but here it goes anyway:

Click on http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_richard_grenville.htm for the whole account.

"They only had time to embark the sick and escape from a greatly superior force. The Renown was cut off from the rest of the naval force. The ship tried to fight its way round the Spanish fleet, but was surrounded. For fifteen hours the Renown battled against the Spaniards, sinking one ship and driving off another, causing serious damage, but in the end she was forced to surrender. During this action, Grenville was mortally wounded. He was taken aboard the Spanish flagship San Pablo, and died three days later."

Even the RN knows better than to quote Alfred Tennyson's poem as serious history. --Charles A 03:29, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

The tale is pretty well documented in Hakluyt and in a book by Rowse amongst others sources. If anyone can find Spanish sources to contradict it would be very interesting. Because it is such a big part of the national myth one tends to assume it must be fake but Grenville and his crew were religious protestants and from our secular viewpoint fanatics.--Persiflage1962 (talk) 14:05, 22 October 2009 (UTC)

Broken Link

The link to Al Stewart's song Lord Grenville is broken. I haven't touched it because someone with a Wikipedia account should have the opportunity to edit it. 69.171.156.239 (talk) 11:29, 12 February 2011 (UTC)

Greynvile?

I think the article use sometimes Greynvile for Grenville.
About the native american, there is no confusion with Manteo?
Wikipedia page about Ralph Lane cites: "Sir Richard Grenville, a scientist (...) Lane quarrelled with the aggressive leadership of Grenville, whom he found a person of intolerable pride and insatiable ambition ( intolerable pride and ambition unsatiable )"
--Filoberto (talk) 14:08, 11 December 2014 (UTC)